


The Best Birthday

by Felurian1



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Strippers & Strip Clubs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 20:08:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20681186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felurian1/pseuds/Felurian1
Summary: AU Eliot is a stripper and Julia takes Quentin for a dance





	The Best Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Song: How To Be A Heartbreaker by Marina  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKNcuTWzTVw

Its bad enough that Julia forced him to come on this ridiculous night out, but it's even worse that this is where they've ended up. Sure, it's his 21st birthday, but Quentin absolutely did not want to be spending it freezing his ass off on the patios of one expensive wine bar after another while Julia pours him glass after glass of over-priced drink. The music is thumping, his head is starting to wobble slightly, and somehow Jules has managed to get them lost in the gay end of Greenwich Village - which isn't a problem, Quentin stresses to himself, not a problem at all because he doesn't keep secrets from Julia, but he's still more than a little out of his comfort zone. So when Julia wends her way back through the crowd with a pair of shot glasses and a wicked grin on her face, Quentin almost groans.

"Alright Coldwater, new plan! You-", and she hands him his shot, "-drink this, I drink this", hands waving dangerously over the tip full shots, "and then you're coming with me!". Quentin wants to roll his eyes but as always Julia's energy is contagious and compelling and he's perhaps drunker than he thought already, so instead he just takes the shot from her and downs it, spilling drops over his lips and down his shirt as Jules laughs. Then she's grabbing his hand and pulling him through the crowd, Quentin happy to follow her lead, just concentrating on not tripping over his own feet which have definitely grown a few sizes since this morning. Quentin's vision goes a little hazy as they spill onto the street and he wants to giggle suddenly so he claps his spare hand over his mouth, which makes Julia laugh again though Quentin can't see why, he's barely drunk at all, promise. "Where are you taking me?", he mumbles, voice all slurry as they stumble down a side street, but Jules doesn't answer, just gestures up and Quentin looks into a dazzling array of pulsing neon lights as a door is opened in front of him and he follows his best friend in.

The music in here is loud and everyone seems to be moving to it at the same time, and people are screaming and whooping excitedly at something Quentin can't quite glimpse until suddenly he can and holy shit its a strip club. A gay strip club, to be precise, judging by the guys on the platform gyrating to the music. Julia turns and looks at him, and raises an eyebrow as she reaches for his other hand. "This will be fun, trust me!", she yells over the throb of what sounds like '_Hot in Here_', and Quentin has a split second to decide whether to resist her or roll with it. With a half exasperated shrug he gives her both hands, shouting "What the hell" back at her and lets her pull him closer to the stage just as the current dancer is finishing his act. Quentin's too embarrassed to properly meet the guy's eye - not that Julia has any issue of course, giving her best wolf whistle - but he's a beefcake anyway and that's not Quentin's type. Not that he really knows what his type is, but if a guy has more stomach muscles than fingers, he's out.

Quentin turns to Julia, tapping her shoulder to get her attention and he's opening his mouth to say maybe they should leave when it happens. Like something out of movie, the stage lights snap out and the next track starts and it's fast and light and suddenly Quentin's a lot more interested. Then the lights come up again and Quentin feels his jaw drop. The man on the stage might be the cutest - scratch that, hottest - thing he's ever seen, all eyeliner and layers of soft black hair falling dramatically over his face as he prowls towards the front of the stage, hips snapping in time with the beat and Quentin realises with horror that he's looking for a volunteer, and that he's on the front row next to Julia. Who is waving and gesturing at Quentin, because of course she is. And the dancer comes over, reaches out a hand to Quentin who couldn't refuse even if he wanted to, and before he knows whats happening he's being pulled onto the stage and directed towards a chair in the middle. When their backs are to the audience, the man leans in and whispers "Quentin Coldwater?" into his ear, and Quentin has the urge to both murder Julia, and give her everything he owns. "I'm Eliot. You're late-", and Eliot winks as he seats Quentin in the chair, "-so you're gonna want to hold on tight because I don't have time for a warm up". Then he turns, the beat drops, and Quentin's heart starts beating very, very fast.

_'Rule number one is that you gotta have fun, but baby when you're done, you gotta be the first to run' _

Eliot faces the audience and starts unbuttoning his shirt, body swaying to the music as he walks a circle round Quentin who is trying his best not to stare and failing, hands gripping the sides of the chair as he swivels to follow this sensational, incredible person around the floor.

_'Rule number two, don't get attached to somebody you could lose, so le-let me tell you' _

Now he's pulling his shirt off, slowly, flinging it into the delighted crowd who scream and cheer for him, Quentin swallowing hard at the sudden expanse of skin on show just inches from his face. And then Eliot turns back to him and Quentin doesn't quite know where to look as six feet of semi-nude dancer lands in his lap.

_'This is how to be a heartbreaker, boys they like a little danger' _

Eliot's eyes meet Quentin's, wry amusement on his face as he leans closer, voice low to murmur "Well aren't you adorable", before the dance takes him away again, and Quentin feels like he's sobering up very quickly in the best possible way.

_'We'll get him falling for a stranger, a player, singing I lo-lo-love you' _

"At least I think I do", Quentin sings under his breath, and Eliot must hear him because on the next turn he blows him a kiss, the crowd goes wild, and the rest of the dance passes in a blur of discarded clothing and almost-but-not-quite touching that leaves Quentin breathless and lightheaded as Eliot finishes. Quentin applauds with the rest, and then Eliot is leading him back to his seat, back to Julia who has her 'I told you so' smile on, and then its over. Almost. Because when Eliot pulls away, he leaves a piece of paper behind in Quentin's hand, and a kiss pressed to the back of it, and Quentin knows then that he's utterly, hopelessly, joyously doomed.


End file.
